Reversible propeller.



E. s. BRYANT.

I REVERSIBLE PROPELLEB.. PPLIOATION FILED MAY 25, l1908.

Patented Julie 14, 19,10.

' lNvE/yToR auf W al@ S u. W E.

A TTORNE vs To all whom 'it may-concern.'

ELLswoRrH s. BRYANT, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

-' REVERSIBLE POPELLB.-

Specification of Letters Iatent.: Patented June 14, 1910.

Application ined Mayas, 190s. serial No. 434,854.

Be it`known that I, ELLSWORTH S. BRY- ANT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, inthe county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Reversible' Propellers, of which the following is a specification, reference being pointed out in the appended claims.

had therein to the accompanying drawings. This invention relates to screw propellers and more especially. to those having reversible blades, together with the controlling mechanism therefor.

The invention consists inthe matters hereinafter: set forth, and more particularly In the drawings, Fi ure 1 is a .View partially in elevation an partially in section,

of a propeller wheel and controlling mech-. l

anism, with a blade vin position for attachment tothe hub. Fig. 2 is a view in detail of the Wheel hub, with a blade indicated in dotted lines, in reverse position. Fig. 3 is a view in section on line mof Fig. lwith a blade in forwardposition. Fig. 4 is a.

view in detail of a bladecoupling.

Referring to the drawings, a propeller shaft 1, together with a sleeve 2 recipro- I, cable thereon, is

Journaled'in a stern post bearing and stuffing-box 3, anda second 1nboard bearing 4: Preferably a packing gland cap 5 onthe imLer'end-and an aper tured pluig 6 on the outer end -form slide bearings or the sleeve on the shaft.

A solid hub l7 is secured tothe outboard end of the shaft,*a's by akey 8 and nut '9 or other suitable means.

Broad facets 10 are cut inthe hub parallel to the shaft axis, each preferably having a shoulder 11 curved ,on

an are struck from 'the center of a pivot socket 12 in the facet. A 'blade y13 having a shank 14 whose end face corresponds -in contour to the facet, is seated on the facet with/a pivot stud 15,"preferably integral with cross-pin/ 16 passingv through the hub engaging a peripheral groove 17 in the lstudI 15. A blade coupling. collar 18` 'screwthreaded onl or otherwise secured tol the outer end of thesleeve V2 and seated, when` the sleeve is fully projected, in the innert counterbored end of the hub, has splines .19,

integrally formed or secured thereon, each i of which is movable in a slot 20 in a hub parallel to the shaft. The coupler-l acts asv a retainer for the sleeve plug 16 and facet friction.

the blade, locked inthe socket 12 by a packing may be inserted between the plug andcoupler, if desired.- A stud'21 on each spline engages a slot 22 in the blade. When Vin forward position, the -blade Shanks and hub present a smooth, vrounded exterior substantiallysimilar to the nave of a solid A bushing 23 with an exterior helical @am path. or screw-thread 24 of quick pitch, is

rotatable on the sleeve.2 between longitudinall adjustable stop collars 25, ball bearings 26 ein-g interposed to reduce end thrust The cam o r screw-thread interlocks with a mating thread or cam on the interior of a bracket boss or standard 27 of the base frame 28 carrying the inboard bearing 4. A gear 29 on the bushing is engaged by a segmental rack-30 on a reversing lever 31 pivoted on'the frame 28 and provided with a latch 32 engaging a quadrant 33. The rack is obliquely arranged to remain in -mesh with the bushing gear throughoi the range of its movement longitudin y- In operation, the lever by its `rotation lof the bushing moves the sleeve and blade coupling longitudinally .on the shaft, thereby .swinging the blades on ltheir pivots to the desired. position.

One of the features of the invention is the .Y

solid hub which affords rigid bearing and connection between the shaft and blades and has theusual radial dimensions of a standard fixed-blade propeller. .Y

Y Another feature 1s the interlocking of the Yparts without the use of bolts or nuts, so

that the wheel cannot work 'apart when in use.- The coupler is a single piece which cannot become detached'and the pivot studs yare integral lwith the blades. v

A further advantage lis'the compactness of the shifting gear, the movement lofthe lever transversely to the shaft or 4athwartships also making the gear more convenient for small boats. The blades. are positively 'lockedat any desired angle, the lever quadrant 'being required only for holdingthe lever against accidental displacement inthe usual running positions.

Changes in details of construction may be v-ma-de without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not care to limit my- .self to any particular form or arrangement of parts. A

What I claim as my invention is -1. Areversible blade propeller .comprising a rotatable main shaft, va hub secured thereto having a solid bearing body, and bearing facets formed 'in the periphery of the body l parallel to the shaft axis, a propeller blade for each facet having a pivot pin extending longitudinally of the blade from the end face f; the shank and engaging a socket in the facet, the Shanks of the blades and the hub body presenting "an unbroken contour of lconventional-type when the blades are in the normal forward position, a coupler longitudinally reciprocable on the shaft having splines sliding in guide slots in the facets parallel to the shaft each having a stud engaging a groove in the blade transverse to the spline, and means to reciprocate the in planes parallel to the shaft axis, a

.coupler- '2. A reversible-blade propeller mechanism comprising a rotatable main shaft, a solid hub secured thereto having bearing facets peller bladev pivotally secured on each acet to swing obliquely to the shaft, a coupleradapted to swing the blades in unison', a sleevenon-rotatably and longitudinally reciprocable .on the shaft and carrying the coupler, a bushing rotatably secured-on the --sleeve, a standard having a boss in screw- `threaded engagement with the bushing, a

with a pivot pin socket and a guide slot parallel to the shaft and offset from the socket, a propeller blade for each facethaving a shank bearing against the facet with a pivot pin engaging the socket, an annular coupler provided vwith splines each sliding in a facet guide slot and movably engaging the blade,l a sleeve non-rotatably and longitudinally reciprocable on the shaft and-carrying the coupler, a bushing rotatably secured on the sleeve, a standard having a boss in sorewthreaded engagement with the bushing, a

gear on the bushing, and a lever Swingin 'on the standard transverse to-the shaft provided with a rack in mesh with the gear.

4. A reversible-blade propeller comprising 'a 'rotatable main shaft, a hub secured thereto having a'solid bearing body, and bearing facets formed in the periphery of the body parallel to the shaft axis, a propeller blade for each facet having a pivot pin extending longitudinally of the blade from the end face of .the shank and engaging a socket in the facet, the shanks "of the blades and the hub body presenting an unbroken contour 'of conventional type when the blades are'v in the normal forward position, a coupler having splines sliding in guide slots in' the facets parallell to the shaft each having a stud engaging a groove in the bladel transverse to the spline, and a 'sleeve nonrotatably and longitudinally reciprocable on the Shaft and. carrying the coupler, a bushing rotatably secured `on the sleeve, a standard having a boss inscrew-threaded en agement l with the bushing, a gear on the bus ing, and

a lever swinging on `the standard transverse Ltothe shaft provided vwith a rack in mesh.

with the gear.

' 5. The combination with va bearing of a rotatable main shaft passing therethrough, a solid hub secured thereto having bearing facets in planes parallel to the shaft axis, a .Y

propeller blade pivotally secured on each facet to swing obliquely to the shaft, a coupler, a sleeve longitudinally reciprocble and rotatable in the-bearing and longitudinally reciprocable on the shaft and carrying the coupler, a bushing rotatably secured on the sleeve, a standard having a boss in screw'- threaded engagement with the bushing, a gear on the bushing, and a lever swinging on tlie standard transverse to the shaft and provided with a rack in mesh with the gear. ln testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ELLSWORTH S. BRYANT.

Witnesses: f

C. R. STIGKNEY, OTTQF.' BARTHEL. 

